Okay, so we’re trying to work on our homework assignment of “trying to think several moves ahead”. Which is tricky, because this means I have no A) have a plan and B) identify moments where there are decisions to make (and not just coast of heuristics/reflexes)

Draft log

deck

game plan

Hoo boy, this deck is not… good. But there are some individually good cards: the Charger, the Crawling Barrens. A few big thumpies, a few pockets of synergy (the trusting guide to slip through Bug-Catchers, some landfall, some party). This deck is going to count on curving out and hoping to slip in a finishing blow.

round 1

Turn 3: Okay, the first fork: do I roll out the Territorial Scythecat on 3 or start to ramp with the Floralhedron. Given how much better the cat gets with a few landfall triggers, I build out my board state. Time enough for the charger later!

Turn 4: so… is it later? Here I play the hedron as a mana dork and the tap-land for landfall trigger.

I would like to point out that trying to track my decision-making process while reading my very poor handwriting is quite difficult. Let’s see if I can do better in the second round. I eventually won both games with pressure.

round 2

This is from game 2, facing a RW deck that ground me out with 3/4 flying Shepard of Heroes. Plural. Lots of choices here.

• Scythecat on 3 to start landfall triggers. Doesn’t block well though
• Brute on 3 to set up a 2-point Sparkmage on 4.
• Brute on 3 to set up an axe + Dauntless Survivor on turn 4.

I go with the Sparkmage plan. It works out, but they kill my Murasa Brute before I can snowball with it. However, I still pull out the victory.

Brutally mediocre hand, but I think I have to trust my deck to draw into early drops to try and make it work. And it did work! Came down to oppo overreaching on a swing-back, but I rode some surprisingly robust Bug Catchers to victory! Did I mention that it’s REALLY hard taking screenshots and playing Magic? and coming up with a plan? AND writing it down? Yeesh, I need some practice.

round 3

Alright, this is a nice-looking hand! Pretty easy keep on the play. Opponent ended up mulliganing once.

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early game is pretty basic. Without drawing any 3-drops, I keep my spell-lands planning to drop them on empty turns coming up.

I was a little slow on the screenshot here, but opponent completely blew me out with a Inscription of Abundance, killing the Hellion. I almost recover with the Stomper, but opponent had a Rabid Bite + Deathtouch and then it was super over.

Game 2

Another pretty easy keep with two of my better cards in the Geopede and Charger. The question is: do I try to ramp with the Florahedron. Yes I do!

Pretty standard development. I drew a spell-land so I was able to drop it on turn-3, getting ready for a turn-4 Charger.

Oppo traded off their buffed Survivor and a Baloth for my two cards. I get a 3/3 troll on the battlefield. Option: where do I put the +1/+1 counter? Overreacting to the 3/3 sorcerers I’ve faced, I put it on the troll. Total mistake: keep a 2/2 so the unblockable damage from the Sneaking Guide is doubled.

Skipping forward a few turns, I start “sneaking” in damage with a 3/3, since opponent does not have any good blocks.

It’s amazing how quickly a board state can turn on you though! The 5/6 cleric slowed me down a lot. But I top-decked a Might of Murasa. So what do I do here (opponent knows I have a Charger back from Bala-Ged Recovery). Clear attack and either there are some great trades (Brute for anything, or Might of Murasa for lethal over anything else). Whew! That was actually a hard attack to see.

Game 3

Whoops, forgot to capture the opening hand again. As before, this is a nice hand with some good ramp. Ramp plan is a go!

I was proud of this block. Yes, the plan is “ramp” but getting that damn deathtoucher off the battlefield is pretty important for my big dummies. And it baited out the Inscription of Abundance! And let’s be honest: a 3/3 deathtoucher is pretty much the same card.

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Opponent has two Rockslide Sorcerers. I see! Opponent getting a free shock every time they case a spell does not bode well for me. Need to get the Big Dummies onto the battlefield. Though I can chip in with that 3/2 Electromancer, since they aren’t going to trade any of those. I’m still waiting on getting my barrens into play as I’m feeling very much on the back foot here and can’t give up free attacks.

The game rapidly gets out of hand, since they bounce creatures: get a shock. Draw more cards; get a shock. &c &c. On the ropes, there was one last interesting moment:

Do I attack with the Barrens (it can be a 10/10 if necessary). On one hand, my life total is desperately low and I’m clearly on the backfoot. However, I have vanishingly few outs, and they don’t even need to attack to kill me (between Valahut Exploration and the double-freaking Rockslide Sorcerer) so I need to take some risks. I attack, and they make a sloppy double-block with the 5/6 and the 3/2. I pump to 10/10 and get a clean 2 for 0! However, oppo topdecked a Bubble Snare and that was that. I still think that was a good attack though, since I just can’t wait and needed something like that.

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